A German pharmaceutical company whose drugs ended up in Nebraska's lethal injection supply says it never intended for state officials to obtain them and tried unsuccessfully to get them back.

Fresenius Kabi spokesman Matt Kuhn says the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services was only able to buy potassium chloride in 2015 because one of its U.S. distributors made a mistake.

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Kuhn made the comments after The Associated Press asked whether company officials knew Nebraska corrections officials had bought their product to use in executions.

Currently, a bill in the state Legislature would let the department withhold the names of its suppliers.

Death penalty opponents say shield laws make it easier for corrections departments to mislead agencies about how they will use the drugs. Supporters say companies shouldn't dictate how their products are used once they're sold.